UK Prime Minister Rishi Snack during a visit to the Kent Scientific Service, West Malling, Kent, UK, 30 May 2023.Daniel Leal/Pool via Reuters Acquisition of license rights
LONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) – Britain on Thursday rejoined the European Union’s flagship scientific research program Horizon, following a two-year post-Brexit deal with the European Union over science funding. He announced that he would put an end to the conflict.
The deal, which excludes the EU’s Euratom nuclear research program, signals further improvement in bilateral relations seven months after trade disputes were resolved.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said in a statement that it had secured “improved financial partnership terms” with Horizon Project.
“This is the right deal for the UK, opens up unparalleled research opportunities and is the right deal for the UK taxpayer,” Mr Sunak said.
Sunak’s office said the UK would also participate in Europe’s Copernicus Earth Observation program, but not the EU’s Euratom program, opting instead to pursue a domestic fusion energy strategy. .
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on messaging platform X (formerly Twitter): “Today’s political agreement on the UK’s participation in Horizon Europe and Copernicus will strengthen science across Europe. ‘ said.
Under the Brexit trade deal signed at the end of 2020, the UK will have access to a range of EU science and innovation programs, including Horizon, the EU’s largest research funding programme, with an annual budget of €95.5 billion ($102 billion). negotiated about.
The EU blocked the UK from joining because of a dispute over the post-Brexit trade rules governing Northern Ireland, but the dispute was resolved in February, opening the door for the UK to rejoin Horizon Europe. was opened.
Having missed two years of the seven-year programme, the UK is questioning how much it will have to pay to rejoin, and while negotiations are underway, UK applicants to Horizon guaranteed funding for
The government said the UK would not pay for the freeze period and would compensate the UK through a “clawback” mechanism if British scientists received significantly less money than the government put in.
The agreement “marks another step in the spirit of friendship and cooperation between the EU and the UK on issues of common interest,” the joint statement said.
(1 USD = 0.9328 EUR)
Reporting by Alistair Smout and Muvija M, additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan, editing by Elizabeth Piper and John Stonestreet
Our criteria: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
